1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to multimedia systems and more particularly, remote control devices for use with such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
People with visual impairments cannot read the button labels on remote controls, either because they have no vision or because the limited space on remote controls results in lettering that is too small to read. An estimated ten million Americans have a visual impairment of some kind and the number is only expected to grow as Baby Boomers age. This inability to read labels is a major barrier to the use and enjoyment of many electronic products for these people. Frequently, for example, a visually impaired user must essentially memorize the function associated with each button on a remote control device. Even for well sighted persons, reading the labels on remote control devices may be impractical if the ambient light is insufficient. While there have been efforts to address this problem using remote controls with built-in audio resources, these remotes require additional hardware, drain batteries faster than conventional remote controls, and have limited functionality.